Landscaping Archives | Green Built Alliance

Rob Motley: Slope Hope: Building A Green Home on a Unique Site

Slope Hope: Building A Green Home on a Unique Site Rob Motley When I first met Kate Zubko and Jeff Konz at their property on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway two summers ago for an initial site visit, I left the meeting with two distinct impressions: that Kate and Jeff...

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Amy Smith: Asheville’s Urban Forest: Solutions for a Sustainable City

Asheville’s Urban Forest: Solutions for a Sustainable City By Amy Smith Asheville is treasured by residents and visitors alike for the natural beauty surrounding the city. Our region is covered with forests, teeming with wildlife, and saturated with mountain views. Like all growing cities, Asheville faces the issue of...

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RJ Taylor: Protecting Our Places: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Conservation Subdivisions

Protecting Our Places: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Conservation Subdivisions By RJ Taylor Western North Carolina is feeling a growth spurt. Many people around the country have become aware of our secret, that Asheville and the surrounding communities are a wonderful place to live and play. The downside result...

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Emilio Ancaya: Blue Sky, Green Roof: Reimagining Asheville’s Rooftops

Blue Sky, Green Roof: Reimagining Asheville’s Rooftops By Emilio Ancaya Nestled on Lexington Avenue in the heart of downtown Asheville is an apartment building that offers a unique and distinguishable feature. Situated on top of the building is a beautiful 8,200-square-foot green roof that can be seen and enjoyed...

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Planting for Future Generations: A Journey Toward Bioregional Food Resilience

Planting for Future Generations: A Journey Toward Bioregional Food Resilience Danu Macon For millennia, the land we know as Western North Carolina has nourished and provided a home for thousands of species of animals, plants and fungi. The web of life here in these mountains contains a grand diversity...

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Midwifing Sustainability: Building and Selling Permaculture Incubators

Midwifing Sustainability: Building and Selling Permaculture Incubators Dan Clere How can a home be regenerative? What is it regenerating? And for whom? These questions are great fodder for coffee conversation, and as green builders, we often take the basics for granted. We want our homes to be durable and...

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Amplifying Agrihoods: The Benefits of Neighborhoods Built Around Working Farms

Amplifying Agrihoods: The Benefits of Neighborhoods Built Around Working Farms Allison Smith Sometimes new problems call for old solutions. That’s the best lesson to be taken from the recent rise of housing developments built around working farms, also known as agrihoods. Created to foster a sense of community and...

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Bill Jones: The Easy Part of Green

The Easy Part of Green: Locally Grown Native Plants in your Landscape Bill Jones Every new home, commercial and residential development — or for that matter any new construction project — requires a building permit. They also require a landscaping plan. In reviewing The Sustainable Sites Initiative developed by...

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Benjamin Portwood: Landscaping for Today

Landscaping for Today: Backyard Stewardship, Food Production and Ecological Generation Benjamin Portwood Edible and ecological landscaping is a trend that is sweeping the nation. It combines aspects of many different types of gardens — rain gardens, ornamentals, fruits, berries, culinary herbs, butterfly gardens, cut flowers, and vegetable gardens —...

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